First it was the Mikvah. When the Rabbi arrived in this dwindling Jewish community right in the middle of Amish country, one of his first projects was to build a Mikvah. With the assistance of several congregation members, they raised penny after penny until finally the Mikvah was built. But that was just the first step in attempting to revitalize the kehilla.

Next it was the Yeshiva. Indeed, it is not your ordinary off-the-block Yeshiva. Geared towards bochurim who sometimes fall in between the cracks, the kind who want to be in a yeshiva but are more talented in the hands-on department. The Yeshiva provides a combination of morning learning with afternoon vocational training in residential construction. It is well suited for the kind of bochurim who don’t see themselves as academically oriented and need something different than just sitting all day and learning. As such, it serves a vital need in the Jewish community at large. And it seems to be succeeding. From a recent article in Mishpacha Magazine:

“We started the yeshiva shelo lishmah,” Rabbi Sackett says, “as a means to a different end, as a means to building up the Lancaster community.But before we knew it, we were doing it lishmah. The yeshiva took on a life and a reason for being all its own.”

In other words, in teaching boys how to build, the Lancaster Yeshiva Center accomplishes an even bigger objective it builds up the boys themselves.

But of course running a Yeshiva requires funds. It’s not often that such an easy opportunity to take part in a Mitzva comes along. You’ll be helping this unique Yeshiva itself, and at the same time showing some hakoras hatov to the Lancaster Jewish community by helping it grow into a more vibrant kehilla. Anyone who has been to Hershey park and benefited from the Kosher stand has benefited from the Lancaster Jewish community.

You can vote once per day. I see that they have received only 10 votes today. That is very disappointing and shows a really lack of concern about other yidden. Even so, they have improved their ranking by about 10 notches. Every yid with web access should be voting once per day.

It’s a great idea, and a win-win situation. The young men learn valuable vocational skills that they can use to earn money, and the greater community gains rehabilitation of rundown property.

What would be really exciting would be if this idea could be extended to help ease the housing crisis for frum Jews. Rebuild more distressed properties in the Lancaster area to create affordable housing, start K to 12 Cheder and Bais Yaakov schools, open commuter bus lines to NYC and Philly, and spread the word to desperate young famiies squeezed into tiny overpriced apartments. That would be such a blessing for so many people, and even non-Jews would benefit from turning blighted urban ruins into showcase neighborhoods.